Securities Arbitration Lawyer Blog
GWG L Bondholders who purchased the speculative, high-risk, illiquid, and unrated bonds through Newbridge Securities Corporation are worried after last week’s approval by the bankruptcy judge to allow GWG Holdings Inc. to enter into a new debtor-in-possession (“DIP”) financing package. The new DIP financing package includes an option for GWG Holding Inc. to sell its portfolio of life insurance policies for at least $610 million, approximately $1 billion less than GWG Holding Inc’s outstanding obligations to GWG L Bondholders.
Even though the portfolio of life insurance policies does not directly secure the GWG L Bonds, this development is significant for GWG L Bond investors because GWG Holdings Inc.’s largest tangible asset is its portfolio of life insurance policies. It is believed that the value of these tangible assets will significantly impact the outcome of GWG Holdings Inc.’s restructuring effort through its filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Upon information and belief, Newbridge Securities was a part of a network of broker-dealers who sold the risky GWG L Bonds. GWG Holdings, Inc., which stopped making interest and maturity payments to GWG L Bond investors in January 2022, filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year, on April 20, 2022.
Iorio Altamirano LLP, a securities arbitration law firm based in New York, NY, is investigating potential lawsuits and securities arbitration claims against Newbridge Securities Corp. (“Newbridge Securities”) for its sale of L Bonds issued by GWG Holdings, Inc. (GWGH).
Investors who purchased GWG L Bonds through Newbridge Securities Corp. or any other broker-dealer are encouraged to contact Iorio Altamirano LLP (gwglawyer.com) for a free and confidential consultation and to review their legal rights. We can review and analyze potential claims and advise individuals of their legal rights without obligation or cost.
For the latest on Iorio Altamirano LLP’s investigation of GWG L Bonds, including a key event timeline, visit our firm’s investigation page: Iorio Altamirano LLP’s Investigation of GWG L Bonds.
See Also:
GWG L Bond Investor Recovers Losses After Filing a FINRA Arbitration Claim
GWG L Bond Investors Seek Recourse After GWG Holdings, Inc. Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
GPB Investors Have Won Monetary Awards in 10 of 11 Arbitration Cases This Past Year
Iorio Altamirano LLP Investigates Dempsey Lord Smith, LLC Over GPB Funds
Dempsey Lord Smith Broker Raymond Sun Facing $1.2 Million Customer Claim
Newbridge Securities Corporation (CRD No. 104065)
Newbridge Securities Corporation has been an SEC-registered broker-dealer and FINRA member since 2000. The firm, which is based in Boca Raton, Florida, engages in a general securities business and is licensed to sell securities in 52 U.S. states and territories. Newbridge Securities employs approximately 199 registered representatives at 50 branch offices.
Newbridge Securities has 30 disclosures of regulatory events on its public disclosure report with FINRA, including eight sanctions in the past decade. The eight sanctions over the past ten years have resulted in eight censures and over $915,000 in monetary penalties in the form of fines and restitution orders.
Financial institutions like Newbridge Securities must supervise financial advisors and customer accounts properly. Brokerage firms must establish and maintain a reasonably designed system to oversee account activity to ensure compliance with securities laws and industry regulations. When a brokerage firm fails to supervise its financial advisors or the investment account activity sufficiently, it may be liable for investment losses sustained by customers.
Newbridge Securities has also used the following names to conduct business: Ludwig Investments, Inc., and Newbridge Securities Corp.
Iorio Altamirano LLP is also investigating Newbridge Securities Corp for its sale of limited partnerships created by GPB Capital Holdings, LLC, such as GPB Automotive Portfolio, LP, GPB Holdings, LP, GPB Holdings II, LP, GPB Waste Management, LP, and GPB Cold Storage, LP. To read more, please visit our blog about that investigation: Iorio Altamirano LLP Investigates Newbridge Securities Corporation Over GPB Funds.
About GWG L Bonds
An L bond is a financial product created by GWG Holdings, Inc. The L Bonds are speculative, high-risk, and illiquid alternative investment offerings.
Initially, GWG Holdings pooled money from bond investors to purchase life insurance policies on the secondary market, paid the policy premiums, and then collected the death benefit when the insured individual passed away. However, beginning in 2018, GWG Holdings used the investor capital to invest in a new business model, exposing the company to riskier alternative assets. Many GWG L Bond investors were utterly unaware that GWG materially reoriented its business model, which, in our view, made it a much bigger credit risk. Additionally, many GWG L bond investors were not told by their financial advisors that GWG used investor capital to pay out the high distributions owed to other GWG L Bond investors in a Ponzi-like scheme.
GWG Holdings offered the L Bonds with a maturity ranging from 2 to 7 years and paying an interest rate of 5.50% to 8.50%.
GWG L Bonds were likely not suitable for investors with a low-to-moderate risk tolerance or investors who had liquidity needs.
On April 20, 2022, GWG filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. According to the bankruptcy filings, the SEC has been investigating the sales practices of brokerage firms related to GWG L Bonds. It has been recently reported that the SEC’s investigation began in May 2021. We believe that this regulatory investigation includes the sales practices of Emerson Equity and its regional broker-dealers, such as Newbridge Securities.
Last month, the SEC’s investigation led to its first lawsuit as the regulator filed a lawsuit against Western International Securities, Inc., and several of its brokers in a federal court in California. The firm is accused of failing to perform due diligence regarding the inherent risks associated with GWG L Bonds and recommending these risky products to customers in situations where they were not in the best interest of the firm’s customers.
Brokerage firms like Western International Securities, Inc. and Newbridge Securities are required to make investment recommendations that are suitable and in the best interest of their customers. Brokerage firms and financial advisors must also disclose all material facts and risks of a security when making a recommendation. Firms and brokers must also conduct reasonable due diligence on products they offer before recommending them to any clients. When a firm or advisor fails to meet these standards of conduct, they can be held liable for damages.
Investors who purchased GWG L Bonds should contact New York Securities arbitration law firm Iorio Altamirano LLP for a free and confidential consultation to review their legal rights.
About Iorio Altamirano LLP
Iorio Altamirano LLP is a securities arbitration law firm located in New York, NY. We represent investors nationwide and vigorously pursue FINRA arbitration claims on behalf of investors to recover investment losses.
We have nearly 20 years of combined experience as securities arbitration lawyers and have helped investors recover investment losses in over 1,000 cases. Our firm will file a FINRA securities arbitration claim on your behalf on a contingency fee basis to try to recover your losses. If we do not obtain a recovery, you do not owe us a legal fee.
If you have invested in GWG L Bonds through Newbridge Securities Corp., contact securities arbitration lawyers August Iorio at august@ia-law.com or Jorge Altamirano at jorge@ia-law.com. Alternatively, call the firm toll-free at (855) 430-4010.